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Friday Favorites – March 11th, 2016

run along brooklyn

Happy Friday gang! If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (@healthyhappier) you know that I kicked off the day in my favorite way – a long run. I’m actually taking today off from work so I can get our house prepared for the wedding shower we’re hosting tomorrow night. My mother-in-law and I are spending the day together cooking, arranging flower arrangements, decorating and getting organized. I’m so excited to see the finish product come together tomorrow and hope that Russell, Meg and all their friends enjoy the evening!

As promised, in regular Friday fashion, here is this week’s version of Friday Favorites. So, as you count down the hours until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Warm weather means the opportunity to reintroduce some of my favorite items back into my wardrobe. For this morning’s errands I sported my Chuck Taylors, ripped jeans and my new sunglasses!

Do you find yourself doing push-ups but not seeing results? You could be doing them all wrong. Dara, one of my favorite Fhitting Room instructors, shows everyone how to do the perfect push-ups in this helpful and inspiring Daily Burn post.  Suns out guns out?

house of cards
The House of Cards addiction is real friends. I have no idea why it took me so long, but I’m officially obsessed with this series. Certain aspects remind me of Scandal, though darker. I’ve made it through eight episodes and am so curious to see where the series goes. Don’t worry, everyone has warned me that season 3 is horrible but season 4 makes up for it. Bo and I also get a kick out of the fact that the two main characters share our same workouts – running and rowing.

Running the NYC half marathon next weekend? If so,  this post is for you. Elizabeth is a running coach who has run the NYC half marathon seven times. Her course strategy, tips and tricks for the NYC Half has me excited to race and I’ve already printed her helpful pace bracelet!

Slowly but surely I’m updating my skin care regimen with natural products. The Acure day cream  absorbs quickly, fights aging and helps stimulate cell renewal. It’s light enough to wear under makeup and leaves my face feeling silky smooth. In just a month of use, my face looks brighter and more vibrant than ever before!

If you loved Spotlight as much as us, you’ll love this Washington Post article that Martin Baron, past editor of the Boston Globe wore about what the movie meant to him and the industry.

This marathon playlist helped add some spice to this morning’s long run. The first song, Downtown, reminded me how much I love running to Macklemore which then lead me down the Spotify rabbit hole, adding Swedish House Mafia, Daft Punk and Red Hot Chilli Peppers to my half marathon playlist.

Lately I’ve been practicing yoga on an almost daily basis in the comfort of our home. I light a candle, roll out the mat and spend five to ten minutes unwinding. This routine is great for recovery or relaxation and just the way I like things – short, sweet and to the point.

The arrival of Spring and a few upcoming trips have me inspired to shop again. My J.Crew Factory shopping basket is overflowing with bright pieces including this necklace, a fun, eyelet dress perfect for any Summer party and this top that is screaming to be paired with white jeans.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday Favorites! Hope you have a wonderful day and a great weekend!

Your turn: What’s your favorite running or workout song these days? 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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Friday Favorites – February 26, 2016

nyc

 

Friday has arrived and it’s sunny in NYC! To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement. Things have been crazy over here as Bo started a new job this week, immediately upon our return from Tahoe. The house needs cleaning, our Fairway shopping list is longer than I’d like to admit and I still have 10-miles to run at some point today. This evening Bo is hanging out with a friend while I indulge in a relaxing Friday night – hair cut, manicure, pedicure and a glass of wine while watching last night’s Scandal.  How about you? What is on your agenda this weekend? 

This is my fifth Friday Favorite post in a row and I this my blogging mojo is finally right where I want it! I’ve had a blast blogging this week and am excited about the content I have lined up for next week.  As promised, in regular Friday fashion, here is this week’s version of Friday Favorites. So, as you count down the hours until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Do you work from home? How many of these awful realities of working from home resonate with you? Number two, three and five hit home for me especially yesterday when I only left the house to buy a salad from our corner bodega because the only food we have is apples, almond butter and bananas.

Props to the Charles Schwab CEO, Walt Bettinger, for testing a job candidate’s character by putting them in a very typical, but stressful situation. After reading this, take a moment to think how you react when a restaurant or other service industry makes a mistake.

Just in time for Sunday night’s movie fest, this homemade popcorn recipe looks deliciously indulgent. How can you go wrong when something includes three of my favorite things – popcorn, peanut butter and chocolate? I think I’ll have to make some before Bo and I catch up on a few more Oscar-nominated films this weekend. Which one has your vote?

Thanks to Kristine, and the crazy work week, Bo and I jumped on the Munchery wagon last night. We ordered the pan seared albacore rice bowl which was delicious and reasonably priced. Having a healthy, delicious and filling dinner option delivered to our doorstep was the perfect way to end a 14-hour work day! Want to try it for yourself? Use this code  (HEALTHYHAP) to save $10 on your first order!

munchery

We brew our own coffee each morning and while we’ve tried a number of different blends and roasts over the past six months, I’ve finally found my favorite – Stumptown House Blend. It’s robust enough to wake me up in the morning but smooth and balanced enough to enjoy throughout the day.

Today’s windy weather really makes me wish I had an insulated running vest. I found this Brooks vest on sale! Since it’s insulated, wind resistant and water resistant it’d make the perfect Spring layer.

If you’ve followed this blog or my Instagram feed for a while, you’ll hopefully know that I’m very focused on improving my photography and content this year.  This helpful post from Paula provides inexpensive and easy tips to improve your photos. I just ordered the Lack side table since we have a convenient place to store it when I’m not using it for photos and props.

Last week’s ski trip left my lips seriously wind burnt. I have a tendency to lick my lips when I’m nervous which means that I spent half the time licking my lips on the slopes, only to have them battered and chapped from the wind and conditions. I’ve been layering on the new to me Sierra Sage lip balm multiple times a day this week to help with the damage. The refreshing mint flavor is relaxing while the vitamin E and natural oils have quickly repaired my lips.

How can I not include Fuller House on this week’s Friday Favorites! I remember watching Full House along with Step By Step, Boy Meets World, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Family Matters on Friday nights with friends while we played Girl Talk and ate pizza.

We have a black tie optional wedding in Stone Habor, New Jersey this April which means it’s time to figure out a dress option. My amazing friend Theodora has offered her favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress but if that doesn’t fit, I’m eyeing this one and this one on Rent the Runway and this one at Nordstrom. Thoughts? Since it’s only $150 to buy a dress from Nordstrom, I can’t decide whether I should buy or rent. But when would I wear it again?

nordstrom dress

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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Friday Favorites – February 19th, 2016

IMG_9989

A trip to Tahoe with good friends was exactly what my mind needed. Plenty of sleep each night, relaxing in front of the fireplace, mountains of fresh snow and time skiing and enjoying the fresh, cold California air is the break that I needed after a pretty draining January.

As promised, in regular Friday fashion, here is this week’s version of Friday Favorites. So, as you sip that second cup of coffee and count down the hours until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Please imagine small lab rats with weights tied to their tails. This is what scientists did to figure out which type of exercise is best for the brain. Turns out that distance running is best for improving the brain!

My favorite Summer NYRR race opened yesterday, The NYRR New York Mini 10k! If you are looking for a fun, Summer race in New York City or a destination race, this is a great option. The world’s original women’s race, it is always a fun morning including some superstar runners, flowers and medals at the finish line and this year even a free digital race pictures. Even in last year’s horribly hot conditions, this was a new 10k PR and I loved the event, so I will definitely be running it again this year.

Afghan-chicken-with-yogurt-11

Bo and I always love cooking Indian food at home, though rarely invest the time needed to make the delicious dishes. After seeing this Afghan Braised Chicken in in Yogurt on Anne’s blog yesterday, we pinned it and added it to next week’s menu.

This week Well+Good shared their perspective on the 7 hardest workouts in NYC. It turns out that Bo and I have only tried four of them so the others have been added to our list for February and March. I think Tone House intimidates me the most!

After using Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder for four months, it has quickly become a step in my daily make-up routine I will not forego. It takes just seconds to apply, lasts for ages and takes my look from done to flawless. It doesn’t show to the naked eye but instead just makes you look a bit more fresh while also helping your makeup, even if it’s a tinted moisturizer, stay in place all day even through a sweaty workout.

Almost daily Rachel inspires me with her delicious, mouth watering pictures and simple, straight forward recipes. When I saw that our pantry has all the ingredients for this chocolate chip banana bread recipe, I pinned it for Sunday night. I want to try making a muffin version as I swear this would be the best motivation to wake up for early workouts. A tiny bite of goodness before Barry’s Bootcamp or Brooklyn Bodyburn? Yes please!

While organizing my beauty closet this week, I discovered my favorite winter fragrance, Tom Ford’s Black Orchid. I thought it had been lost in the move when in fact it was just hiding under a few hair sprays, body scrubs and makeup samples. Luxurious, unique and woodsy, this fragrance is unlike anything else I own. The rollerball size is my favorite as I can stash it in my purse or in my travel bag.

I love that Delta is committed to improving their plane food so much so that they want fliers to say that it is wonderful food instead of “wonderful for plane food.” What better guy to partner with than Danny Meyer to take their in-flight food to the next level. Hopefully some of this carries into coach class as well.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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